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Plans revised for proposed downtown parking structure

After having its initial proposal rejected by the Downtown Design Review Committee, the owners of a surface parking lot near the Civic Center have submitted revised plans.

The new application shows the height of the structure reduced from 73 feet to 56 feet 8 inches. Height became a point of contention during the review process as a neighboring property owner and other local urban design advocates had argued the original proposal was out of proportion with its surroundings.

In addition, the revised plans show completely new facades facing both Main Street and Colcord, the latter of which would face the recently re-worked Centennial Park next to the Civic Center. The new brick and metal elevations are in contrast to the previously proposed aluminum fins.

Opponents of the project have argued that a large parking garage is not an appropriate use for fronting a city park, although the City itself built a much taller and larger structure just to the east on Main, which faces the newly renovated park to the east of City Hall.

The ADG design also shows parking being scaled back from from 262 spaces to 207 and total square footage down from the original 102,800 to 83,200. Office and retail space is still shown at ground level on both the north and south sides, with 4 levels of parking above.

TBL Parking LLC – which is associated with the Oklahoma City Police Association -- had appealed the decision of the design review committee to the Board of Adjustment which is still set to be reviewed on November 2nd.